John Cuthber

"What would you do?" Who cares? Are you unable to distinguish killing someone in those circumstances from trying them, convicting them and then killing them in cold blood? Re." They never get closer as long as the murderer remains alive. " etc. I suspect that you are basing your ideas on guesswork. I'm making that assumption on the basis that, is you had done any research on "closure", you would, at least, know how to spell it. So, do you have any actual evidence?

The very first thing you need to do is understand the current theory you wish to challenge.

I know. That's why I said "about the same". Did you have a point?

Everyone who commits a capital offence makes that bet, and there are enough of them to prove my point. Re. "One thing about the death penalty: it sure cuts down on repeat offenders." It has about the same success rate as life imprisonment.

Are you in favour of killing al those with mental illness, or just those who you consider to be a threat? Alan, pointing out that you are wrong, or, at least, that you have provided no evidence to support your idea is not " some inane remark to side step the issue";. It is the issue

"Fun. So the "nascent hydrogen" was just an electron transfer... Not a good explanation for graphene, " Odd. I thought that graphene (or its oxide)- as a conductor, in contact with the zinc- was rather well placed to pick up electrons released from the zinc and, accordingly, be reduced to some (notionally free-radical) species that could then react with, for example, water to produce the sorts of things listed as products. Meh. Perhaps I will okok again when I sober up

So, it's just as well that nobody did that . Check again. Nobody said that, did they? However suggesting that there's a causal link between the abolition of the death penalty and the rise in crime is a fallacy. And, here's where you suggested such a link " in my country of South Africa where the death penalty's been abolished from law crime is now rampant and risen to unimaginable heights" and again "my country has discontinued with capital punishment against the wishes of the majority and crime has worsened unimaginably. " and again "the banning of capital punishment in South Africa appears to have a clear correlation with increased crime, but one must have some idea of what this correlation is before one could sanction its reinstatement" http://xkcd.com/552/

The fact that someone can seriously suggest that the correct answer is "too clever by half" is all the proof that we need that we are not in a scientocracy.

in 1950 they didn't have a lot of evidence on the matter, by 1970, they had lots of evidence. They probably didn't have 14000 papers demonstrating i, so, according to your approach, they still shouldn't have believed in tectonics. I wonder if there are 14000 papers on the subject even today. If not, to be consistent, you ought to disregard plate tectonics too. Does that seem sensible?

If all the evidence showed that the Earth was flat, and none contradicted it, would you disagree with all the evidence?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nascent_hydrogen

"So you think my statement about rampant crime in SA is a fallacy, call it what you like come and visit us and the reality of it might hit you very hard South Africa has become a place where both black and white citizens have erected huge up to 9 foot walls, with electrified razor wire like a maximum security prison .This is not a philosophical topic but an awful reality that my family and I have had to live through." Did you deliberately miss the point? Saying "something happened after something else" doesn't prove it was caused by it. So, the increased violence and crime in SA isn't necessarily caused by (or even related to) the abolition of the death penalty. BTW, I have family in Jo'burg and near Durban. I know what the place is like. it's just that I know better than to blame it on the lack of capital punishment.

Those 14000 reports were all based on studies. How many more studies would it take to convince you?

Through what plausible mechanism?

If that's what the data showed, what would you expect them to report?

I know this is simplistic but... There are 3 groups of people who commit serious crimes- let's stick with murder as that's the crime most often associated with capital punishment. 1 Those who do it in the heat of the moment. These people are not considering the next two minutes of their lives, never mind anything else. No potential punishment will affect them because they don't stop to consider it. 2 Those who carefully plan their crime in order to avoid detection or prosecution. These people don't expect to get caught- so any potential punishment won't seem relevant to them. 3 those who don't fall into either of those groups- they plan to commit the crime, but accept that they are likely to get caught. These people are already on a hiding to nothing- if the thought of life imprisonment doesn't deter them then the death penalty probably won't either. So, why do people think that the death penalty has a deterrent effect? Which group do the think will be deterred by it? Also, you say "This is an ongoing subject but in my country of South Africa where the death penalty's been abolished from law crime is now rampant and risen to unimaginable heights" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Post_hoc_ergo_propter_hoc There are of course other issues- I'd prefer not to be seen as a killer- even by proxy (if I support a legislature that kills then I support killing) and how do you deal with the cases where someone is cleared? With life in prison, at least you can release them. How do you revoke a death sentence? And, there's the idea that you might be judged by the company you keep. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Use_of_capital_punishment_by_country

" I am trying to figure how to attack this. " You have been told how; provide that algorithm.

Yes, he's not looking for a test that his idea will fail. He's just looking for confirmation. Unfortunately, he's not got a hope unless he explains what he's doing, and shows that it is general.

Water feels colder than air. Why? How warm is your hand? How warm is an ice cube? (and, for the record, please don't call me bro).

"it converts to iron phosphate (excess phos acid is at this point "gone")" That's not what excess means is it? Unless you plan to carefully measure the acid to get exactly enough to react with the rust, but not more, you are going to have leftover acid.

Since it makes Michel123456 feel better "It is universal. No material thing in the Universe travels faster than C." Happy now?

Two cats are sliding down a roof, which one falls off first? The one with the lowest mew.

Is space a material object- can you , for example, pick it up and throw it? " I hope that someone will explain why the speed of light is constant as measured by any inertial observer before I die." Ask Maxwell.

Space isn't a thing though, is it?

You do realise that citing a single death due to GM would actually make me look stupid in a way that calling me a GMO promoter never will. Why not try it?